China Bayles is owner of Thyme and Seasons, an all-things-herbal shop in Pecan Springs, Texas. She shares the space with her best friend Ruby, owner of the Crystal Cave, the town’s only New Age shop. They also have a tea room, cater, teach classes and workshops, run a food delivery service, and they rent out the small cottage on the property.
In Visalia, California, there is a wonderful herb garden located on the campus of Crestwood Elementary School. Twenty years ago, teacher Kathy Stevens joined with students, parents, and other teachers to create this peaceful nature place for everyone to enjoy. A wide variety of seasonal herbs, flowers, shrubs, and one bay tree welcome visitors throughout the year.
What’s not to love about herbs? Cooking channels program us to always have herbs on hand (fresh ones at that), so many of us spend a fortune at Kroger, or plant seeds to grow our own. I always cross my fingers after planting, not only hoping my seeds will sprout, but that our neighborhood squirrels don’t harvest them before I can get a share. To encourage the would-be gardener in you, the not-so-cozy world of Susan Wittig Albert’s herbalist, China Bayles, guarantees a good read for any time of year, but in the spring her world is especially attractive.
